This book discusses the rites thought of the 18th century, one the one hand focusing on the disparities between Qing-era Confucian rites thought and the rites thought under the Song and Ming concept of Heavenly Principle, including the areas of principle and system, in order to observe the context in which any possible breakthroughs could have occurred in the rites thought of the 18th century. On the other hand, it also pays attention to all of the doubts about the patriarchal order and the idea of patriarchy raised by the intellectuals of the 18th century. These doubts left a huge open space, responses offering multiple possible directions for transforming old knowledge and citing new knowledge.